Wednesday, August 02, 2006

The Closeness of Loss

Friday 5:15 a.m. I got up, showered and went to the office.
2:30 p.m. Left the office and ran errands.
4:00 p.m. Arrived at home and began the process of removing the alternator and power-steering pump from my old car. For the record, I hate working on cars, but it had to be done. Rhonda brought me cold drinks and set up a fan to keep me cool. She also held the flashlight generally helped out in every way she could.
9:00 p.m. Finished the task and made a Taco Bueno run to get a late snack for the family.
10:30 p.m. Hit the shower again and got ready for bed.
11:30 p.m. Laid down with Rhonda for much needed sleep.
11:35 p.m. Got a goodnight kiss from Rhonda and hit the full relax mode.

11:40 p.m. Rhonda sat up abruptly and said, “I’m gonna be sick!” She ran to the bathroom and was very much sick. I got up and went in to get her a drink of water and a cool wash cloth. She was standing and bending over “the bowl.” She said she was dizzy and her chest was burning. I told that was normal and to get down on her knees. She did that and said, “Something is really wrong with me.” She then passed out and slumped over to her left side against the wall. I laid her down on the floor and she was out…but breathing. She sat up and then passed out again and slumped back to the floor several times. I continued to try to figure out what was happening. I left her to get the phone.

Saturday 12:00 a.m. I dialed 911 and asked for an ambulance. I gave the operator the information she asked for and went to get Brittany. I got some clothes on and continued to try and keep Rhonda breathing and still.

12:15 a.m. The paramedics arrived and began working on Rhonda. She was mostly unresponsive. Her blood pressure was very low, about 80 / 50. She was blue. She was making a lot of noises, but not making words. We were very concerned.

1:00 a.m. Arrived at the hospital and was told to sit in the waiting room. Rhonda’s mother arrived and we began the work of waiting.
3:00 a.m. We were called to the E.R. to speak to the Dr. He told us what was happening to Rhonda, but he said, “The scary thing is that we cant figure out why. She is a very sick young lady.” He told us that they were going to keep working on it, wait for the CAT scan results and then if nothing changed move her to ICU. We returned to the waiting room to wait and pray.
6:00 a.m. Called to the E.R. again. We were told that the CAT scan was clean and they were moving her to ICU. Rhonda’s blood pressure was being maintained artificially and they were trying to re-hydrate her. Her oxygen level was too low and her lungs were not working well.
7:00 a.m. We were called in the ICU room and told that she was stable and they were giving her something to make her sleep. They were going to run additional tests. I went home to tell the kids what was happening and get a nap.
11:00 a.m. Rhonda was moved to a regular room. At noon I returned to the hospital to talk with the Dr. and sit with Rhonda. She looked a lot better but was still hooked up to a lot of tubes and machines.

Sometime in the evening we saw the Dr. and he explained what he thought had happened. He explained that it was a combination of issues that caused Rhonda to get sick, pass out, her blood pressure to drop and her oxygen levels to plummet. She was able to come home on Monday afternoon. She is resting and recovering.

It was a close call. Had someone not been there she might not have made it. Remember to appreciate the relationships you take for granted. It may not always be so. In the course of a normal Friday where everyone was feeling fine we experienced the closeness of loss. We are grateful that Rhonda is ok. But more than that, we are more appreciative of how quickly loss can come close.


telemicus out

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

wow! glad to hear things worked out as they did. Sounds like you had a Jack Bauer day.

She'll be in my prayers.

Anonymous said...

God is amazing. I'm praying for you... always.
-Erica

Anonymous said...

Michael-You and your family are always in our prayers, and never more than yesterday. We know that the Lord will care for you all, but we still ask for his forebearance during this time of difficult need. We Love You All , and ask God to Bless you as never befofe. In His Name, Bill Testa